Letter from Ganizani Mingo
I was born in a family of five, I am the last born with three brothers and a sister. Mainly, I have been raised by my mother following the divorce of my parents. In 2004, after most of my siblings left home, I stayed with my sister Lydia together with our mother. Then two months before sitting for my final primary school leaving certificate exams, my father passed away while I was staying with my grandmother.
Fast forward, the exams were written, the results were out and I was selected to Blantyre Secondary School. It was a great day in my life considering that this was the best news to the family since I was the first one in our family ever to be selected to a boarding secondary school, a national secondary school for that matter. The greatest worry was “where to get the money to support my studies? Who will be able to finance my studies?” This was my demotivating factor since none of my relatives had the capability to provide the required sponsorship fees.
That was my first time when someone told me about the works of FOCHTA, so with my brother Eric, we were directed to the FOCHTA Grassroots Committee Chairperson Mrs Mtiya who had kindly assisted us in processing my application for school bursary. All this was happening just a week to the school opening date, 19th April, 2011. I had to travel to that school in Blantyre for the first time in my life but without having any feedback from FOCHTA and with only hope. Then two weeks later, I heard of the good news that my application was successful. I later received school uniforms and shoes also from them. That was one of the happiest days in my life that indicated the end of my worries about school fees. I promised myself to use this great opportunity to the fullest of my possibility bearing in mind that the only way to say thank you to FOCHTA is through producing good results. I always had to work hard until I finished my secondary schooling in 2015. Through God’s grace and mercy, I scored an aggregate of 10 points in my Malawi School Certificate of Education exams. I then applied and got accepted to study a bachelors degree in biomedical engineering (honors) at the University of Malawi, the Polytechnic, currently known as Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). That opened another chapter of my life. It was a long journey but FOCHTA was always there for me up until I graduated on 5th April 2023 with a second class honors degree in biomedical engineering.
Currently, I am not working yet but I hope to start working soon. I have managed to get the degree, thanks to FOCHTA and especially my sponsors Edward Ho, David Fan, Betty Kwok and Ms Tam. Now I can see a bright future ahead that I will be able to stand on my own feet without any problem, and be able to help others fulfill their goals in a similar way FOCHTA did to me.
Finally let me recognize the importance of my sponsors. May the good Lord bless you all abundantly. If at all possible, please do not hesitate to do the same to others as there are many students who are failing to get financial support ending up not being able to complete their studies and fulfill their goals.